This invention relates to an improved casing brake construction and, more particularly, to a casing brake construction for use with a sausage link or other comminuted, link product filling apparatus wherein smearing of the product on the inside wall of the casing during the filling and packaging operation is minimized to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the product.
Product packaging apparatus of the type which utilize an extended or lengthy piece of casing rucked on a discharge horn or pipe are taught in various prior art patents, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,273 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,945, incorporated herewith by reference. Briefly, a viscous product is continuously fed through a pipe or horn into flexible casing in the form of a cylindrical tube that is then sealed at intervals to form links. The apparatus fills the casing in a continuous filling operation and automatically closes and seals the ends of the uniform links.
Such apparatus are quite useful for continuously producing packaged products at a high rate of product production. However, the resultant product does not always have a satisfactory appearance as contrasted with product packaged on a piece goods machine wherein single links, elements or lengths of casing are filled with product, and the ends of the casing then sealed with a metal clip, for example. More specifically, utilization of apparatus which produces a single, filled casing product virtually eliminates or avoids the smearing of the product on the inside wall of the casing during the filling operation. The appearance of the product, for example, sausage or other food, thus is significantly enhanced and aesthetically pleasing to the consumer.
In contrast, the filling operation associated with a continuously operating, filling apparatus often results in producing an unappealing, smeared pattern of the product on the inside wall of the casing. This leads to consumer dissatisfaction with product appearance. Addressing this problem is a focus of the subject matter of the present development.